The present invention is directed to a portable or mobile jib crane with components thereof, and or units, assemblies, or subsystems thereof. More particularly, the present invention concerns an improved hoist, lift or materials handling jib crane with components, assemblies, units or subsystems, especially adapted for use in connection with billboard signs, marquees, displays, and the like.
In the billboard industry the use for vinyl faces to create images on is a growing trend. The installing of the vinyl faces requires manual lifting by way of block and tackle, or a boom truck may be used to lift or lower the vinyl faces. Prior art does not address an efficient or practical method for elevating or lowering the vinyl faces.
Webb (U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,962) discloses a portable load bearing winch which is releasably attached to a front or back of a vehicle hitch using a female square tubing member and a square male end for attachment to the vehicle.
Morrow (U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,864) discloses a kingpost type luffing crane which can be removed from a receiving socket for relocation purposes.
Thiermann, Sr. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,240) discloses a portable crane assembly which can be coupled to and decoupled from a transport dolly.
Richardson (U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,208) discloses a detachable concrete wall finishing machine which is capable of lifting a finishing head and able to transport the finishing head in a horizontal fashion along a concrete wall.
Hence, there is a need for a portable/mobile jib crane for the billboard industry. The industry may become less reliant to physically lifting vinyl faces up to the billboards, or using heavy lift trucks which may be a burden for hard to access places and the expense of running them.
In accordance with the present invention, a vinyl lifting crane is provided which addresses the drawbacks of prior art and which is relatively simple in construction, easy to operate and maintain. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the vinyl lifting crane is especially adapted for use in connection with billboard signs and the like, more particularly for lifting and lowering two objects of the approximate same weight simultaneously, better known as counter weighting. In the billboard industry the practice of creating images on a vinyl surface is commonplace in the industry, the vinyl lifting crane will aid in the lifting of a vinyl face which is to be installed, and the lowering of the uninstalled vinyl simultaneously, creating a counter weighting effect.
The vinyl lifting crane will possess two primary functions in order to successfully aid in installing vinyl faces. The vinyl lifter will be capable of climbing itself up to a billboard structure, or jib, for example, then once atop a billboard, can change function to serve as a hoist. This hoist is releasably attached to a billboard structure via male and female square tubing mating members making it mobile for the multiple locations it will need to be used.
The vinyl lifter has a battery powered motor which drives a nip roller, and in conjunction with the drive roller is a plurality of idler rollers. When a flat rope is threaded through these rollers traction of the rope occurs. This flat rope when attached atop a billboard will hang down or can be attached to an anchor point on the ground. The vinyl lifter will climb or descend the flat strap by method of traction from the nip rollers. Once the vinyl lifter is installed, it may be commanded by an infra red remote unit to drive the nip rollers which in turn will cause the flat rope to move in a direction desired to lift one vinyl from the ground to atop the billboard while in turn lowering the uninstalled vinyl face to its destination on the ground, then the lowered vinyl may be loaded into a pick-up truck, for example. The vinyl installer will save money, time and be much more efficient than the presently employed methods.
One employed method is physically lifting the vinyls by way of block and tackle. Another employed method entails the use of boom trucks which may be expensive to operate and may not be able to get to hard access places. The method of installing the vinyl with a boom truck includes the boom lifting a vinyl up to a billboard sign, attaching one end of the vinyl to the billboard then as the boom swings left to right will unroll the vinyl.
The present vinyl installer will possess horizontal movement by means of a trolley which has a female square tubing member to receive the male square tubing member of the vinyl installer. The vinyl lifter will unroll a vinyl face by manually pushing the trolley along a rail which is located in the back of the billboard sign. The mentioned drawbacks related to the employed methods of installing vinyl faces are apparent and warrant the introduction of a mobile or transportable, self climbing jib crane.
The principle object of the present invention is the provision of a hoist and method involving a hoist which is relatively simple in construction, easy to install, easy to operate, and easy to maintain.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved mobile hoist and method including a transportable jib crane with its attached drive components.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a self contained, battery powered motor drive system for a jib crane.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a self-contained, self propelled, transportable mobile jib crane.
Other objects and further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with its accompanying drawings wherein like parts are designated by like reference numerals.